VHA iEx Talks: VHA’s innovation story is its people, purpose, and passion

Listen to what Dr. Beth Ripley, a 3D Printing innovator, has to say about innovation:

“Innovating is hard. It’s not easy. It’s a lot of hitting walls. It’s a lot of no’s. So why do I innovate? Because we know that when we get it right we’re going to change patient’s lives. And that’s why we innovate.”

That’s the energy, creativity and passion that drive innovation at VA. It’s the essence of Beth’s and every other innovator’s story, and at the VHA iEx Talk, October 22 and 23 during the VHA Innovation Experience (iEx), you will get to hear those stories and experiences of 19 other innovators. All of them share a common vision: driving mission-driven innovation at VA. That’s why VHA’s Innovation Ecosystem is a leader in healthcare innovation. Over two days, 20 VHA storytellers will take you on their innovation journey. They will inform, inspire and show you how innovation is changing and saving Veterans lives.

You will hear and see how:

Amanda Purnell, PhD, VA St. Louis Health Care System (St. Louis, MO) and Innovation Specialists across the country are providing Human Centered Design (HCD) training to help empower and engage staff in creating solutions to challenges they experience. Over 1,000 staff across the country have attended HCD trainings at their facility.

Daniel Abrahamson, L/CPO and G. Eli Kaufman, L/CPO, VA Puget Sound Health Care System (Seattle, WA) have pared down a mobile toolkit and streamlined the cost-effective model Mobile Orthotic & Prosthetics Services (Mobile OPS) for delivering care at the location of the patient’s choosing. Mobile OPS aims to fulfill Lincoln’s promise to care for all Veterans, not just those that are able to come into our care centers to receive services.

Cory E. Fominaya, PharmD, BCPS, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center (Charleston, SC) is using Machine Learning to audit pharmacy special eligibility benefits and has reviewed more than 44 million prescriptions and 114 million associated decision-points over the past 3 years. The six-facility pilot has returned more than $260,000 to medical centers and delivered a return on investment up 200:1.

These are only three of the 20+ stories you will hear from VHA innovators who are transforming Veteran care. Want to know more about these innovations and the stories behind them? Registration is now open or you can experience the innovation live by watching the demonstrations on VA’s YouTube page. Make sure to follow along by subscribing to the VHA Innovation Ecosystem’s email below and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Learn more about all the exciting events at iEx here. Click to subscribe to VHAIE emails.